


Then that is all that matters.

by amartiniplease



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: F/M, Internalized Homophobia, Kissing, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-11 16:50:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17450729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amartiniplease/pseuds/amartiniplease
Summary: Part 2 of “That’s starting to get annoying”: The war in Europe is over and Anna is waiting for further orders in Austria. She is starting to feel like herself again after pretending to be a man for so long. Joe and her are managing their relationship but there is some pressure about the more physical aspects. They finally have a conversation about it.





	Then that is all that matters.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This work is based on the characters as they are portrayed in the HBO series Band of Brothers and is by no means meant as an offense to any of the real men that it was based on.

Wartime seemed to be coming to an end, they were currently stationed in Austria, a beautiful country which appeared like the Garden of Eden after the hell they had been through. They were still riding the high of capturing Berchtesgaden and the war being over in Europe. They had started to see the potential of a life after.

Although the war was still raging in Japan and most didn’t have enough points to go home, the spirit among them had changed completely.

Training again was tough but they had roofs over their heads, beds, food and hot showers. It was everything they could have asked for and more. Anna was enjoying the clear water, going on swims, and the sun hitting her face. She had started to grow her hair out again, it made her feel a little more like herself.

Most of all she was enjoying Joseph Liebgott. They took every chance they got to sneak off, making out against walls of buildings or lounging in the grass somewhere. They hadn’t had sex yet. The opportunity hadn’t presented itself, there were too many people around most of the time. Not that they didn’t want to, Anna didn’t feel like it was a big rush, but she was still nervous.

She had just finished a swim, since she was still wearing men’s clothing she was clad in a t-shirt and a pair of skivvies. Coming out of the water she lifted her hands to push her hair out of her face. A groan reverberated over the water at the sight of her shirt clinging to her body leaving nothing to imagination.

“You are killing me Anna.” Joe said running his eyes appreciatively over her figure.

Anna just laughed and shook her head. He was standing by the shore, eyes bright and hair a little tousled, she figured he had probably woken up and gone straight here. Going up to him she smiled mischievously before pressing her soaked body against him, wrapping her arms around him at his protests.

“Good morning.” She pressed a kiss on the base of his throat and felt him shiver when she murmured the words.

“A good morning indeed,” His hands wandered lower to squeeze her butt.

Rolling her eyes she couldn’t help but smile. The sun was hitting part of his face making him squint to spare his eyes but it was also making his eyes a swirl of colours. He was looking down at her, hair falling over his forehead. Anna liked his eyes. Not because they were particularly special, but because there was kindness in them and humor. Somehow they conveyed every emotion as clear as if he’d shouted it. He was easy to read if you knew where to look. Joe was a passionate person and Anna admired that about him. Sometimes he let things go to his head and acted recklessly. And though she didn’t always agree with them, she respected his choices if he was sure that he was doing the right thing.

Anna slid her hands up to rest on his cheeks. She shut her eyes as she leant forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Pulling away slightly she met his gaze. “I like you a lot.” Smiling she kissed him again before stepping back.

Joe put on his famous smirk as soon as he had recovered. “Good thing I like you too then, sweetheart.” His eyes softening a little when he looked at her.

She just winked at him before turning to the clothes she had brought to change into. Glancing over her shoulder she noticed Joe’s intense stare. It made her blush and she hesitated with her hands resting on the hem of the shirt.

“I’ll turn around if you want.” Joe had noticed her hesitation.

She sighed. “It’s not that, just feeling a little self-conscious I guess.”

Undressing in front of other people wasn’t exactly something she was used to. Especially not after these last few years of hiding it at all costs. Anna didn’t think she’d seen herself properly in two years. Not that she cared about her looks much after what they had gone through and the things that she’d seen. After Landsberg, any criticism of her body felt like she was commiting a personal offence to each and everyone of those men. This wasn’t about that at all. Of course she wanted Joe to find her desirable but it was the other way around she was worried about. She was afraid he’d see her body and forget who she was. That he would remember that she wasn’t just one of the guys and start treating her differently.

“I already know that you are beautiful, Anna.” He was attempting to reassure her, but he was getting it all wrong.

She suddenly felt angry, turning around she fixed him with a glare “I am not fishing for compliments Joseph.” The use of his full name got the desirable effect, his eyes widened and he opened his mouth in shock.

“I’m sorry. Fuck. I just figured that maybe that was why you’ve been so against us sleeping together.” Joe didn’t even realise he was digging his grave deeper.

“What did you just say?” Anna’s voice was dangerously calm as she narrowed her eyes at him.

He looked startled and shifted a little while he talked. “I don’t know. I just thought maybe you were worried that I wasn’t gonna find you hot enough or something.”

Anna laughed lowly deep in her throat. “Fuck you!” She spat, walking closer to him as she spoke. “My value does not lie in whether my body is desirable enough for you, you arrogant asshole.” To punctuate her statement she poked his chest with a finger. “I don’t give a shit what you think.”

She was fuming and didn’t want to look at him for another second so she turned back to the pile of clothes before swiftly tugging her t-shirt off her body, she picked up the dry one from the ground and slid it over her head before repeating the action with her underwear. She angrily snatched the cargo pants from the ground and pulled them up, buttening them as she turned around to face the shocked look on Joe’s face.

Staring at her Joe opened his mouth as if to say something, before closing it again. At last he managed to choke out. “What the fuck just happened?”

“You were being a fucking idiot. That’s what happened.” Anna crossed her arms over her chest.

Joe searched her face for something, he moved closer. “I don’t think your value is determined by your body Anna.” He said softly. “I’ve known you for almost three years. Fuck I even fell in love with you while you were pretending to be a boy for fuck’s sake so don’t you dare say that.” Pulling a hand through his hair he let out a frustrated sigh.

All she could do was stare. “Fell in love?”

He shot her a glare. “Yes, fell in love. I’m in love with you. Fuck.” Lowering his gaze to the ground. “I thought you knew that.”

“Before you even knew I was a woman?” She tried to catch his eyes, but he kept looking down.

Nodding, a blush spread across his cheeks. “Yes.”

“Oh, Joe.” Warmth filled her chest. She couldn’t help the smile that appeared on her face. Feeling ashamed that she had underestimated him like that.

Joe hadn’t lifted his eyes from the ground and a frown curved his eyebrows. “I understand if that makes you not want to be with me.” He thought her reaction was out of disgust.

“What?” Anna stared at him in bewilderment. “Why wouldn’t I want to be with you?”

“Because I am attracted to men.” He thought about his short infatuation with David and how afraid he’d been that anyone would find out. And when he’d started falling for Anna he had been even more scared because it felt different from a crush.

Anna found this ridiculous, but knew better than to laugh. “Joe,” She paused, she wanted him to look at her when she said this. “Look at me please.” She saw him reluctantly lift his head. “I want to be with you. The only reason I care that you are attracted to men is because I wonder if you are attracted to me like this.” She gestured to her body, he had a vulnerable look in his eyes. “No matter who you are attracted to I support you. It doesn’t make you any less than anyone else.” She smiled softly at him.

“Both,” He murmured. “I am attracted to you now but I was also attracted to you before.” He deigned to indicate that he had heard the rest.

“Then that is all that matters.” She said decidedly. “And Joe. I love you.”

He flinched a little at those words. As if they had caught him off guard and Anna realised that he probably thought that he’d never get to hear them from her after he had told her what he felt. She walked up to him touching his arm gingerly. Wishing that she could reassure him that she was telling him the truth.

“I have never been in love with anyone before. But, what you mean to me, is everything. More than living, that is how much I love you.” These words felt too important to be spoken out loud just like that so she made herself whisper them. Her hands were hanging at her sides a little spread as if waiting to embrace him.

Joe seemed to shudder when she said that and finally stepped into her space, wrapping his arms around her tightly and pressing his face into the crook of her neck. She felt his tears but didn’t comment, she knew he had had enough for one day.

And because she knew he had to hear it she whispered the words to him once again, like it was a secret between just the two of them. “I love you.”


End file.
